Podcasts are becoming increasingly popular. They are often downloaded from iTunes or other platforms and they usually contain audio recordings of interviews, lectures, and discussions.
Podcasts are also known as radio shows, audiobooks, or podcasts. The term was coined in 1976 by Canadian broadcaster Michael Enright who wanted to describe his show. Today, podcasts are widely used across the globe.
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How Can You Find Out How Many People Have Downloaded Your Podcast?
If you want to know your podcast statistics such as how many podcast downloads per episode, it’s easy enough to find out.
You can use tools like Podtrac or Apple Analytics to see how podcast stats such as many times each podcast episode was played, or simply look up the total number of plays across iTunes.
But what about the bigger picture? How many episodes did you average over your entire run? What’s the median? And how does that compare to others? These questions are much harder to answer.
In fact, there are no definitive numbers. There are just some guidelines. For example, most podcasters report that one episode per week works well. If you’re averaging five episodes per month, that’s roughly one every four weeks.
What Is The Average Number Of Downloads For A Podcast?
As of 2020, there are over 400 million podcast listeners globally, according to Edison Research. In America, there are about 177 million podcast listeners.
Of those, approximately 38% listen to podcasts every month, while another 26% listen weekly.
The number of monthly podcast listeners grew by 35% from 2018 to 2019, while weekly listeners increased by 11%.
While the growth of podcast listening is impressive, it still pales in comparison to the overall population. Only 5% of Americans say they listen to podcasts regularly, compared to nearly 20% of Europeans.
How Can You Increase Your Podcast Download Numbers?
There are over 4 million podcasts being created every day in some of the most popular genre. This means that there are millions of podcasts out there waiting to be discovered.
If you want to get started, here are some ways to increase your chances of a successful podcast.
- Choose an appropriate topic. You can start with something like “How To” or “Top 10”. These topics have a lot of potential listeners.
- Create a unique title. A good title will make people curious about what it is all about. It should include keywords that will help search engines find your podcast. A good title will help you stand out, especially in a popular podcast genre where competition can be tough.
- Write a description. People need to know what your podcast is about before they decide whether to listen to it. Make sure that it has enough information so that people don’t have to do any searching.
- Upload to your podcast host. Podcast hosts make it easy to manage your podcast. You can then submit your podcast episodes to different podcast directories such as Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and Spotify so it can be discovered by more listeners.
- Run podcast ads. As you start to get more listeners, you can try running ads on your podcast. This is a great way to monetize your podcast and make some money from it.
- Easily start your own podcast today!
- There is a reason Podbean is used by 570,000+ Podcasters!
Engagement And Audience Quality
The numbers don’t lie: the podcast industry is growing fast. And while some podcasters struggle, others thrive. So what makes one succeed where another fails?
A recent study from Edison Research found that “long-form audio storytelling,” including podcasts, continues to grow. In fact, the number of Americans ages 12+ who listen to podcasts grew 27% in 2018 alone.
But it’s not just the growth in podcast listening that matters. Audience quality and engagement are equally important when looking at podcast listener statistics. When we talk about audience quality, we’re talking about the size and type of audience.
For instance, does the audience consist mostly of young adults or older folks? Are most of the listeners male or female? Do they live in urban areas or rural ones?
This information helps you understand whether the audience is large enough to make a profit and whether it’s engaged enough to keep tuning into your content.
And speaking of engagement, it’s no secret that audiences want to hear stories that interest them. Topics such as health, science, finance, politics, and sports are the most popular.
Story Telling
Long-form narrative storytelling — specifically, podcasts — is the most engaging. People love hearing stories told well.
They enjoy being immersed in the storyteller’s voice, and they appreciate having access to more information beyond the initial hook.
So how do we know which shows are telling great stories? Well, there are plenty of metrics out there.
For example, did the host ask questions during the interview? Did he/she provide context? Was the interview conducted in a way that allowed the guest to speak freely?
These are all signs that the host listened carefully, and took care to frame the conversation in a way that let the guest shine.
At the end of the day, though, it’s up to each individual podcaster to decide whether his/her show is worth investing in. Some of the best shows are free, and some of the worst are paid. There isn’t a one-size fits all solution here.
- Easily start your own podcast today!
- There is a reason Podbean is used by 570,000+ Podcasters!
How Often Do People Listen To Podcasts?
Nearly half of Americans who use audio technology listen to podcasts every day. This figure represents a significant increase from 2017 when just 16% of people reported listening to podcasts daily.
The most popular podcast genre is comedy, but there are podcasts available in nearly every genre imaginable.
What does this mean for podcasters? Well, it means there are more opportunities out there to connect with audiences.
In addition to being able to target specific demographics, podcasts offer unique ways to engage with existing customers.
For example, you could cross-promote your podcast across multiple platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, etc.
You could even host giveaways and contests on social media to build excitement around upcoming episodes.
You might even consider creating a branded podcast app to help promote your brand and encourage podcast listeners tune in and subscribe to your feed.
Just make sure you’re providing value along with entertainment. If you do, you’ll find yourself rewarded with a growing audience.
Final Thoughts
Podcasting is still relatively new. But with time, it will become an increasingly viable business model. As more podcasters find success, they’ll share their secrets with other aspiring podcasters.
That means that more podcasters will be able to learn from their mistakes and improve their craft.
As the industry matures, it is expected that the average listener will spend less time listening to a single episode, and instead consume multiple episodes per week.
This means that the average listener will have fewer opportunities to engage with your show. If you can capture this attention, then you might be able to turn a few casual listeners into loyal fans.
